1. Academic Programs
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Master of Environmental Management — MEM
  4. MEM Specializations
  5. Climate Change Science and Solutions Specialization

Climate Change Science and Solutions Specialization

Human-induced climate change is one of the main drivers of the Anthropocene. The physical science of the earth's climate and its sensitivity to pollution is remarkably complex and an area of intense study. The resulting perturbations to the earth system permeate through and impact ecological and human systems.

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    Note that a capstone course used to fulfill the MEM capstone requirement cannot also be used toward fulfilling an MEM Specialization requirement; a capstone course taken once cannot be used to fulfill multiple requirements. Learn more about YSE capstone courses by visiting the MEM Capstone page.

    Program Courses

    Core

    Two required courses.
    Course Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027
    ENV 630
    The Physical Science of Climate Change         		  Raymond
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Raymond
    ENV 840
    Climate Change Policy and Perspectives         		Klee
    M,W 1:00-2:20    		   Klee  

    Elective

    Students must complete four elective courses, one of which must be from the “Practicums and Seminars” bin. The remaining three courses may come from any of the four bins.

    Climate Mitigation

    Course Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027
    ENV 568
    Geoengineering in the Context of Climate Overshoot (Fall-1 dates tbd)         		               
    ENV 594
    Global Carbon Cycle         		Denning
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Denning
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 610
    Managing Ecosystems for Climate Change Solutions         		Brando
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:20    		          
    ENV 623
    The Role of Methane in Global Climate Disruption: The Search for Solutions         		          Malone
    ENV 635
    Renewable Energy Project Finance         		  Gross
    Tu,Th 9:00-10:20    		   Gross
    Tentative
    ENV 636
    Carbon Dioxide Removal         		O’Rourke
    M 2:30-5:20    		   O’Rourke
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 646
    Regenerative Agriculture Systems         		  Wood
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		   Wood
    ENV 696
    YFF:Tribal Forestry:         		          Dunning
    ENV 697
    Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar         		          Bradford
    Tu 1:00-2:20
    ENV 716
    Renewable Energy         		  Oristaglio
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:15    		   Oristaglio
    Tentative
    ENV 730
    Environmental Data Science in R: Introduction to Data Integration and Machine Learning         		Malone
    Th 2:30-5:20    		   Malone  
    ENV 800
    Energy Economics and Policy Analysis         		  Gillingham
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Gillingham
    ENV 814
    Energy Systems Analysis         		Rao
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Rao  
    ECON 331
    The Economics of Energy and Climate Change    		        
    EPS 274
    Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions    		        
    EPS 725
    Geoengineering and Carbon Capture    		        
    ENAS 673
    Air Quality and Energy    		        
    GLBL 730
    Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making    		        

    Climate Impacts and Adaptation

    Course Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027
    ENV 639
    Food Systems and Climate Services         		Hernandez-Aguilera
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Hernandez-Aguilera  
    ENV 645
    Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability         		Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Seto  
    ENV 705
    Global Climate Change: Simple, Serious, and Solvable         		Denning
    M,W 1:00-2:15    		   Denning
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 734
    Biological Oceanography         		          Decker
    ENV 773
    Air Pollution Control (APC)         		Gentner
    M,W 9:00-10:15    		   Gentner
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 793
    Abrupt Climate Change and Societal Collapse         		          Weiss
    Tentative
    ENV 819
    Measuring and Visualizing Urban Environments         		  Salazar Miranda
    Th 2:30-5:20    		   Salazar Miranda
    ENV 828
    Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change         		          Wargo
    EHS 547
    Climate Change and Public Health    		        
    EHS 547
    Climate Change and Public Health    		        
    EPH 571
    Seminar in Climate Change and Health    		        
    EPS 140
    Atmosphere, Ocean, and Environmental Change    		        

    Climate & Society

    Course Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027
    ENV 621
    The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction         		        Sanford  
    ENV 642
    Environmental Justice/Climate Justice         		               
    ENV 761
    Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change         		Biniaz
    M 1:30-3:20    		   Biniaz
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 766
    Genesis and Collapse: Environmental Archaeology of West Asia, Egypt, the Aegean and Indus.         		  Weiss
    Th 3:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 792
    Climate Change Communication         		Leiserowitz
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Leiserowitz
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 794
    Climate Ethics and Economics         		          Rao
    ENV 850
    International Organizations and Conferences         		Boyd
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Boyd  
    ENV 878
    Climate and Society: Past to Present         		Dove
    Th 1:30-3:20    		   Dove  
    ANTH 791
    Paleoclimate and Human Response    		        
    ECON 432
    Economics of Social Catastrophes: Climate Change and Pandemics    		        
    HIST 459J (Yale College course)
    Climate Change and the Humanities    		        

    Practicums and Seminar Classes

    Course Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2027
    ENV 582
    Natural Climate Solutions in Agricultural Landscapes: A Survey of Practices         		  Raymond
    Tu 12:00-2:00    		        
    ENV 632
    Intro to Social Entrepreneurship         		          Chahine
    Tentative
    ENV 674
    Forest Ecosystem Health         		  Marra
    M,W 4:00-5:20    		        
    ENV 686
    Synthesizing Science for Policy and Practice         		               
    ENV 829
    Pathways to a Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future         		          Esty
    ENV 959
    Clinic in Climate Justice, and Public Health         		Carrion
    Th 1:00-2:50    		   Carrion
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 960
    Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: Topic TBD         		          Seto
    ENV 966
    Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings         		Smiley Smith
    Th 9:00-11:50    		   Smiley Smith
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 970
    Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar)         		Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tentative    		 Kysar
    Tentative
    ENV 979
    Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors         		  Klee
    W 2:30-5:20    		   Klee
    Tentative
    ENV 990
    Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab — Pre-Registration Deadline: TBD         		        Kysar
    Tentative    		 Kysar
    Tentative
    Climate Change Illustration

    Learning Community

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